Try  A New Beginning
by gti88
Summary: SeverusLily...just wondered what the pairing would look like in a story...James is dead, and Lily is transported back in time to her Hogwarts days  can she correct her mistake? Disclaimer: JK  characters, plot is all mine.
1. Love Lost

**Chapter I: Loss**

"James!"

The scream ripped from her bosom, as she watched in horror when the brilliant green ray of light made contact with him. James' body formed a graceful arc, standing motionless for a split second, before collapsing, his face forever imprinted with the silent shock of death.

Her last memory was of Voldemort turning towards her, a ghastly, revolting grimace that might have resembled the twisted smile on his features, and pointing his wand at her…she saw the same shade of green glisten at the wand's end, before the world suddenly darkened in a void of black…maybe she was dead at last…

Lily Evans slowly stirred to life. Her head was pounding with a severe headache, powerful enough to render her thoughtless for a moment. It was with shock that she realized she was currently in her dormitory room at Hogwarts. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary – yet, she somehow felt younger…her Hogwarts graduation had been two years previously.

Deciding to look out of the window towards the grounds, Lily was astonished at the sight. Students were out and about, walking or studying beneath the shade of trees, and the sun was reflected in the calm waters of the lake. Nothing urgent seemed to be happening – if she indeed were as awake and alert as she felt, then today would be a regular weekday in the life of a Hogwarts student.

However, Lily could not comprehend her current situation. James and her had dated for a year, and she suddenly recalled his death – the details were forever imprinted within her mind, and yet, she saw him in the company of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, sitting beneath a birch tree near the lake.

It was only then that her mind caught up to her senses. A sudden pain in her hand alerted her to the fact that she was squeezing a very irregularly shaped metal object tightly in her fist. She opened her hand, and sitting in her palm, was a Time Turner.

A multitude of questions sprang up at once in her mind, but simultaneously, Lily began remembering details of her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…

Professor Dumbledore had entrusted this particular Time Turner to her – it was in the beginning of the year, in September – he had told her to keep it secret, because of the power the heirloom represented; for, she recalled, it had the power to not only traverse time, but as well, completely erase it.

Lily Evans sat down on her bed, contemplating her predicament. Her gaze landed on a book, titled _History of Magic, Grade Six_, and judging by its new cover, she had recently purchased it.

The Time Turner had thrust her three years in the past – by its own doing, or by her will, she did not know, but felt powerless to attempt to find out.

A hesitant knock on the door startled Lily, momentarily distracting her from her thoughts.

"Come…come in," she managed to utter.

The door opened slowly, and revealed the thin and slightly hunched form of Severus Snape. Wearing black robes and looking apprehensive, his sharp black eyes met Lily's confused green ones.

"Severus?" Lily said in complete befuddlement. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember?" he replied, somewhat affronted. "You said you wanted to see me urgently this morning."

"Oh, I did…what about?"

Wondering what could have possibly afflicted Lily, Severus started to turn in frustration, thinking that she was purposefully trying to fool him.

Only in the last moment did he notice the Time Turner clutched in her right hand. Instantaneously, an old, tattered page jumped in his mind's eye. He had read about this artifact before, and the powers it held…but why would Lily have it? Especially since it was the only one of its kind in existence.

Deciding on a wiser course of action, Severus chose to interrogate Lily later – as of the present, he needed to know what she had done, and ventured to inquire.

"James," she whispered in return. "He died; Vodlemort killed him."

Lily said it in a way that would make a listener think she was describing a nightmare. Severus knew better, however. She was telling him the outcome, if she dedicated her life to James Potter – if she made that mistake a second time, he would be killed again.

"I know," he said. "You need rest, Lily. I'll do my best to prevent anyone from coming up here while you sleep."

She was glad he didn't inquire further into her life with James. Retelling the details of his death was one feat that Lily did not feel brave enough to discuss, having witnessed it firsthand.

"Thank you, Severus," she said quietly.

He nodded, and closed the door behind him. Lily laid down on her bed, and let sleep take her over once again…

**A/N This is the first chapter of this story...I've never tried an S/L fic before, but I hope this one turns out to be good...be on the lookout for chapter 2. :)**


	2. Friendship

**Wow, this story is so weird to write :/ anyhoo, moving on…**

**Chapter II: Friendship**

"Hey, Snivellius!"

Severus groaned inwardly. Hearing James' voice behind him did not improve his already sordid mood.

"Leamme alone, Potter," he growled at the nuisance.

"Ah, come on now, Snivellius," came Sirius's response. "Why the long face?"

"Black – don't bother me."

The loud laughter of his unwelcome companions sounded.

"So whatcha gonna do about it?" asked James mockingly. "'S not as if you can out-duel me," he added challengingly.

"Don't test my patience, Potter," Snape replied warningly.

"Oh, ickle Snivelly is mad now, is he?" Sirius mocked him even further.

The smile froze on the latter's face. One slash in the air from Severus' wand resulted in both James and Sirius being crashed against the wall, and falling face first down on the stone floor.

A small smirk playing on his otherwise pallid face, Severus turned around and continued on his way. Behind him, the angry retorts of Sirius sounded, promising him revenge, but he paid no heed.

For currently, he needed to address a more pressing concern – trying to pull Lily out from her depression and into the world of her sixth year at Hogwarts.

He would need to see her later, however, because for now, he had to attend to his classes.

There was no other outlet for Lily – she would not dare speak to her friends, or they would consider her crazy – as far as they were taught, the time turner she had used was merely a myth.

The more she thought, the better she realized Severus was the only person who knew her well enough to believe and understand her predicament. Deciding to place her trust in him, Lily turned to packing her bag with the essential items for today's classes, and departed from her dormitory.

For she would try to have a normal day; trying to ignore the details of one possible future scenario was a start.

She stepped out in the corridor. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. As she walked, memories slowly seeped back in her mind – familiar faces and details swam to the forefront of her sight; slowly, but surely, she grew more comfortable in her surroundings.

"Hey, Evans!"

Then there was that other wretchedly familiar part of her past – James Potter.

"What is it now?" she turned around in annoyance.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"No, James, I'm not going out with you!" she snapped.

The object of her anger could only open and close his mouth, much resembling a fish out of water. Something flashed in his eyes, but Lily did not have time to identify it.

"Alright then," he had regained his smooth and confident composure. "Better luck next time!"

Lily was about to retort, but she couldn't; James had already walked off.

She continued on her way towards Transfiguration, as per her schedule, which she found on her beside table that very same morning.

Today was certainly going to be a very interesting day.

Severus sat in a chair in the most remote corner of the library – his usual haunt, and scribbled feverishly across a piece of parchment. Too absorbed in his work, he failed to notice Lily coming up to sit across from him.

"Hi," she said.

Startled, his black eyes looked up. "Hello," he said immediately after.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked him.

"Ah, nothing important…just writing an essay for Slughorn. What are you up to?" he said rather quickly.

"Thinking, mostly," she replied distantly.

"Yeah? About what?"

"Everything. James, school…you," Lily told him softly.

An audible gulp escaped Severus. His heart had begun to pound in his throat – was he the only one who heard it?

"M-me?" he managed to stutter out at last.

"Yes, you," Lily affirmed, with the slightest tone of exasperation and amusement.

"Why should I suddenly be the object of your thoughts?" Severus asked her, in spite of himself.

"Because you're the only one I can fully trust," she said simply.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then there is something you need to confide in me?" he asked her in confusion.

"There is," Lily agreed, and her eyes looked down.

"Well, then take your time," Severus offered consolingly.

Lily began her tale of what she knew of the future with James, in much more chilling detail than she had previously recounted – her expectation of a son that would now never be born, the lavish marriage, and the absolute love she felt for James after seventh year; yet, she could not allow herself that mistake a second time. She wanted Severus to help overcome her problems, and hopefully, embark on a new path.

"I'll do what I can," Severus said, once she had finished speaking.

"Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me," Lily said.

"Maybe I do," he countered her argument. 'Don't worry, Lily, everything will be alright eventually."

"Thank you," she said again, and walked around to where Severus was sitting. He looked at her questioningly.

Bending down, Lily gave him a kiss on the cheek, effectively wiping Severus' brain in that mere show of affection.

"I'll see you later," she informed him quietly.

Only nodding dumbfounded, Severus watched her, as she walked out of the library.

**A/N No, really, this story feels really weird…I won't be surprised if it reverts to fluff in the later chapters, because I honestly have no idea how to add more essence to the plot…but as always, reviews are welcome :D**


	3. Love Found

**All right, pick your favourite love song and play it as you read this…the effect will be instantaneous ;)**

**One clarification…last chapter I said Ginny instead of Lily at one point, and I apologize for that…**

**Last chapter…enjoy **

**Chapter III: Love Found**

Lily had decided to do her best in acclimatizing back into Hogwarts. She woke up in the morning, feeling strangely refreshed and confident.

"Lily?" her roommate asked her. "Feeling alright?"

"Oh yes, very much so!" Lily answered a bit too enthusiastically, and departed towards the bathroom.

Once she was down in the Great Hall and eating breakfast, Lily's eyes kept searching for the presence of one rather mysterious and intriguing character – Severus Snape.

For late last night, a realization had hit Lily with the force of a stampeding troll – she loved him.

How? She could not understand, but did not care to either.

Yes, she was in love with Severus Snape; what was it about him that attracted her so?

It was his compassion, care and support. Lily had been acting odd for days – why hadn't her friends come forward to offer her assistance?

Because they didn't care, or they were simply scared of her behavior, Lily couldn't quite decide, but still irked her to no end.

At last, he walked in, and directed his steps towards the Slytherin table. Lily tried looking directly at him, in an effort to catch his gaze.

It didn't work – he was too absorbed in himself.

She, however, did not surrender easily. Deciding to ambush her quarry later on, Lily concentrated on eating her jam-covered pancakes and formulating a plan to corner Severus the next chance she received.

The object of Lily's affections had remained after the last class of the evening, Herbology, in one of the greenhouses, busily writing the ingredients for a certain potion he was keen on perfecting – Polyjuice. The concept of transforming into another being's physical characteristics had occurred to him a few months previously, and now, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Severus' hand flew across the parchment. The quill was quivering in his hand, and from the excitement of the discovery, it left deep impressions in the yellowed parchment.

A draft of wind from a crack in a window somewhere caused the candle to flicker, and nearly be extinguished. Just so he could see better, Severus pointed his wand to the dying flame, and after a muttered incantation, it burst anew.

The sound of a scratching quill continued to permeate the relative quiet. Small raindrops had begun to drum against the roof and walls of the greenhouse. The effect was nearly hypnotizing…it provided a calm, a void, free of distractions, where he could work in peace.

The lightning illuminated the black silhouettes of the plants around him – still, unmoving, as if expecting something…

He was drawing a sketch of a leaf, the heart-shaped lubovice plant; one of the most rare and difficult ingredients to obtain; rumored to be deep within the Forbidden Forest, confined to a clearing, only the centaurs were knew of.

Severus, however, had managed to acquire a single specimen of the plant, offered to him by a mysterious traveler in Hogesmeade some weeks ago.

It was the shape of the leaf that reminded him of his own dilemma – Lily. Her heart was good, considerate, and_ rare _these days, and even more difficult to find a person such as her; in a word, her heart was golden…

He squeezed the small piece of parchment in his hand tightly. Heart pounding, he read it once more:

_Severus,_

_Meet me on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, tonight after dark. I need to talk to you._

_Lily_

Chills ran down his spine – she would never request anything of the sort usually; but tonight – tonight had to be significant.

He wrote a few notes beside the sketch of the leaf, in an effort to regain his composure, about its origins and properties

Will provide the effect for an hour – a complete physical transformation… 

It was no good – his focus was waning, as his mind was slowly succumbing to thoughts of the red vivacious desire that was Lily Evans.

The rain had become more intense by now. Thunder sounded more frequently, and heavier drops battered the glass. Another lightning strike illuminated the dark outline of the trees in the Forbidden Forest.

Yet, Severus sat, unperturbed; he was determined to finish writing the theory behind the Polyjuice potion. The candle had again started to grow weak…he was almost finished…

Over the noise of the rain, Severus thought he heard the sound of running footsteps, splattering against the muddy ground. Perhaps it was a teacher, coming to check nobody was left behind?

His senses quickly became more alert. The dark outside did not reveal anyone coming, and it couldn't have. Unable to disapparate, and nearly trapped, Severus hastily transfigured his parchments into an ordinary flowerpot, and thinking quickly, he stuffed it behind a pile of black earth – tomorrow, he would sneak back to retrieve them.

Opening the door quietly, he slipped out into the dark, hoping to evade detection.

The other person was nearby; he, or she, stopped in their tracks, gasping. Severus quickly realized that the strange guest was a girl. He ignited the tip of his wand.

"Lily?" he said loudly over the noise of the falling rain – it was still falling, but seemed to have weakened slightly.

"Severus!" she said in return. "Oh, good…I barely made it."

He remained quiet for a second.

"Let's go inside," he said eventually. "We'll catch a cold out here."

"No!" Lily gasped. "I have to talk to you."

His heart pulsed quicker…the intrigue of the secret rendez-vous climbed by the second.

Severus walked closer to Lily. "Wh…what about?" he said quietly.

"You…me…us," she replied, very quietly.

Still, he heard her quite well. The rain had not ceased, but had, by now, drenched them both.

Severus could not help, but stare transfixed at Lily…words failed to describe her in the soft glow of the wand light…her red hair, usually softly curled, was wet, clinging to her face and neck, water cascading down from it. She swept a lock aside, and her gaze met his…

It took his breath away.

Not that it mattered much – her eyes, _those eyes…_rich green, burning with passion, promise, affection, and was it…love?

A streak of water slid down from her forehead, to her cheek, chin and down her neck…Severus' eyes were compelled to follow it…they met her red shirt, clinging to her tightly, made heavy by the rain…her breasts were quite accentuated through the thin fabric…

Severus gulped in anticipation. His mind had ground to a halt, taken over by the sea of emotion, swelling within him currently – and certainly matching Lily's anticipation, for she was feeling no less calm…

He, in turn, captivated her…the intense gaze, the _determination _in his eyes, it made her quiver with excitement, with sweet passion, that grew more powerful constantly…she could stand it no longer, as her welled up frustration threatened to break loose…

The rain had become insignificant, irrelevant, even if it was still soaking them both…as if by instinct, Severus and Lily moved forward, slowly, willingly, towards one another…she felt her eyes slowly close…faintly noting the fact, Lily saw his eyes closing of their own accord as well…

In one long second, their lips met, tentatively…water still cascaded down, but they didn't care…

And then it became braver, more passionate and intense…he placed more effort, feelings and desire into the kiss…she responded, using her tongue, exploring, sliding, and biting his lower lip slightly…

That was the turning point…her arms closed around him, and his hand traced her chin, whilst still sending her to seventh heaven… the kiss only deepened more, erasing all conscious thought, as instinct started to surface, and take over, take control in a way neither had felt, nor imagined before…

The need for air could at last, no longer be ignored…they broke apart.

What followed, was the incredulous, questioning gaze they shared.

"Severus?" Lily said at last.

"Yes?" he managed to answer huskilty.

"I can't ignore it any longer," Lily replied, a little stronger. "I love you."

Severus' mind simply quit working again. He leaned in once more, and softly kissed Lily again.

"I love you too," he murmured against her lips.

Drenched, still embracing, and looking into each other's eyes, neither felt the cold…a strange new warmth had arisen within Lily, spreading all the way to her fingertips…her mistake was corrected, and a beautiful love was about to blossom once more…

**A/N Here ya go, gals…hope you had fun, cause that's enough fluff to last me a lifetime…if you liked it, leave a review, and if you didn't, still leave a review… thanks for reading**…


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